Desire Empire

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A Fun Night in at the Beach House

With my new 'going with what ya got' mentality in the interests of getting to France quicker, I brought in some greenery from the garden and we stayed in for home made pizza last Saturday night.

Earlier I had harnessed the brawn of Mr Beach House to help dig out a few saplings that were dangerously close to the foundations of the house and cause I didn't buy flowers last week I brought some of the cuttings in.

I have often taken photos of this gorgeous antique boat, that was a toy of my father's. These boats are known in Sydney as Balmain Bugs and in the 1930's and 40's they were raced on the lakes at Centennial Park and bets were taken on the outcome. My dad was lucky enough to have his own, although as he was born in 1935, I doubt he was involved in the gambling.

The sails are all snail eaten now but I love this boat as it's a link to my dad.

So after a spot of palm frond and coastal banksia jooshing, I got out the pizza ingredients and put the youngest Beach House Brat to work. No need for any recipe action here, as you can see what I used and you can use anything you like. Thinly sliced sweet potato is another favourite, but we were all out of it last weekend.

We loaded up these store bought pizza bases. I hope you aren't cringing right now but these bases are really great. They are from Harris Farm and they are like thin Italian pizza crusts with a lovely herb infused tomato sauce. So in the interests of having dinner on the table in 25 minutes from fridge to table, I use these.

I think this a great way of disguising vegetables that the kiddos would not otherwise eat. I must say I was a little concerned that this kiddo would do the tight lipped shuffle, as often happens at dinner time around here and not eat this pizza. She knew what was on it, so that was a real risk, but no I was wrong....they all gobbled it up. No lunch box left overs here.

And what do you do whilst the pizza is cooking? You dance around the living room to Van Morrison, snapping shots of your amazingly tidy for a Saturday living room, that's what.

Mr Beach House, bless his soul, is still turning up with a bunch of flowers for me most Friday nights. And there they are in the red and white striped paper bag. White lilies this weekend....... you can tell I'm well and truly over the 'baby booster bust up' of the weekend before....which you can read more about here if you haven't already.

Anyway, when the pizza was pulled from the oven, the cork on the rose was popped, or in this case screwed off. The kiddos got water in a coke glass, cause that's as close as they get to coca cola around here....... One exception Christmas day!!!!!

At that point, everyone turned up in the kitchen eager to get into it. Mr Beach House does not stand on ceremony and it's off to the table for a great family dinner for four.

This Saturday night we will be at home as well. The Tour de France begins. Yippee!!! This is perfect viewing synergy for Mr Beach House and I. He watches the bikes and I am perfectly content to watch the scenery.

Happy days everyone.

Today I am linked up with

http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com

http://www.katiesnestingspot.coml

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com

http://www.atthepicketfence.com

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com

Monday, June 27, 2011

Making Progress in White at the Beach House

This weekend past was just one of those great weekends where you have nothing planned but you achieve heaps and have a lovely time doing it.

Soccer was at Seaforth oval and I very naughtily snuck off across the road, whilst the game was in progress to Burnt street to have a look at the bargain fabric houses. I loved these nautical stripes. Nothing came home with me, as I am on my 'saving for France' drive and my current cushion covers will do for now.

After soccer we popped into visit grandpa and Annette. We had to drop off Anette's grandson's baby booster, that we had borrowed the weekend before. We were at a family function and after Mr Beach House put in an appearance, he decided that the sailing club AGM was more important so off he snuck. We had taken two cars, as this was all pre arranged. You'd think it would have occurred to him to drive off in the car without the baby seat though wouldn't you?.... but no!!!. He took the best car along with the baby booster.

I had stayed on at the party, as my kids love these dos, hanging out with their cousins. So when I left the party at about 6pm and got to the car, it was sans baby booster. ARRRRGH!!!. It is illegal to drive with out a child restaraint in Australia if the child is under seven.
Mr Beach House was uncontactable. I thought I would be stuck at the party all night, until Annette came to the rescue. It meant I had to leave my kids at their aunt's and drive to the next suburb to get said baby booster....but hey Mr BH was fine partying with his sailing mates, whilst I made contingency plans to get home from his mother's birthday party at a respectable hour. Luckily there is one responsible party in this relationship.
So this Saturday after dropping of the seat and a lovely cup of tea.....as we drove off I said to Annette, 'Thank God for the sisterhood'. She just smiled back as she knew exactly what I meant. On the other hand it went straight over Mr Beach House's head.

Anyway all was forgiven and roll forward one week, we had one of those weekends where we were together just hanging out at home achieving little gardening and household projects.
Our togetherness started with a salad roll on the deck after soccer, with a few laughs and a recap of our morning. Then I did something I had been wanting to do for ages..... I got the white paint out.

This brown blanket box which I almost forgot to photograph, as I was so into the whole thing, was decidedly shabby.

Before my savings drive for France, I had bought a few new pieces at bargain prices from my favourite shop that closed down recently. I went in on its last day of trading at 4pm and as expected, the reductions were ridiculously good, so I'm glad I waited right til the end.

And this is where they ended up. In my dining room in a little fishing vignette on my freshly painted blanket box.

The sea glass bottle is my absolute favourite.

The fishing rods in the corner were taken from the side of the road at Council clean up time. The net and the basket are reproductions and I am not keen on how so many coastal icons have become so commercial and over used, but I do like these two.

This little chalk board on a stick comes from Leah's Home Atelier.

Theses books in blue are some of my current favourites.

Oh and by the way, that was another achievement last weekend. Before I could put this vignette together and photograph it, I had to take all the Venetian blinds down and bleach them in the bath. After some major hosing down with the shower faucet they are pristine now. I was thinking of going down the plantation shutters route, but that can wait, if it means I get to France quicker. A few hours scrubbing and polishing some half dead dusty and mouldy old blinds will be well worth the effort, when I am swanning around the south of France in two years time. Anyway a girl's gotta dream, other wise she would be stuck in a rut, driving through the suburbs putting out mini fires after Mr Beach House and making him look good. At least he helped with the Venetians..... God love him!!!!!!

Have a great week

Today I am linked up to

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com

http://diybydesign.blogspot.com

http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com

http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

http://sassysites.blogsot.com

http://kirstygirl7.blogspot.com

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://www.domestically-speaking.com

http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/

http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com

http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Beach House of the Week

Well here it is. This is a holiday home in Palm Beach and I just love the way it has been put together. The beachy vignettes are really inspiring. I think this home has shades of India Hicks about it. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!!! I'm getting out the paint brush today, so stay tuned for some Beachy Whites.